A man who police say choked a woman and killed her puppy after becoming upset that she took too long to come home from a shopping trip had his day in court delayed Wednesday.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk," Leroy Graham said after his hearing was postponed. "I mean, like, why are they making a big issue of this? Here he is, a police officer killed a dog, and now they're trying to make an example out of me because I'm black? I ain't killed nothing."

Advertisement

Graham, 54, was returned to the Lawrence County Prison while he awaits a new court date. The criminal complaint lists charges of harassment, simple assault and cruelty to animals.

Surveillance video was captured by the county Housing Authority, which runs the Grant Street Homes, where the incidents allegedly occurred July 11.

"I didn't do anything," Graham said. "They say they got it on film. I want to see."

Public Safety Director Jason DiMuccio watched the video with Channel 4 Action News and described the footage: "If you look right here, he has the dog in his hand. He's going to throw it off the car. The dog's going to bounce. Then, he'll go to the car and choke her."

The woman told police she asked Graham to watch her 2-month-old puppy that day, and she returned to find Graham angry.

"The whole story was, the ex-girlfriend had him watch the dog, she came home late, he wasn't very happy, they argue, he comes outside, slams her puppy off of the car, and then he choked her in the car," DiMuccio said.

"I ain't hurt her. I didn't do nothing," Graham said.

Graham's hearing was postponed until next week because his arresting officer and the woman were not available to testify Wednesday.